Tow seal for treating chambers



July 30, 1968 J. w. LANE TOW SEAL FOR TREATING CHAMBERS Filed April 15,1966 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. JOHN W. LANE AGENT United States Patent 3,394,940 TOW SEAL FORTREATING CHAMBERS John W. Lane, Pensacola Beach, Fla., assignor toMonsanto Company, St. Louis, M0,, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr.15, 1966, Ser. No. 542,818 1 Claim. (Cl. 27717) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A tow seal, for processing textile yarns, having perforatewalls defining a main passage therebetween open via the perforate wallsto a fluid pressure chamber, and filled with flat, flexible bristles.

Tow seals are used in conjunction with steam treating or annealingchambers in processing continuous acrylonitrile tows. Tow treatingchambers employ a seal at the point of tow entrance thereto and exittherefrom. It has been a problem in the use of tow treating chambers toprovide seals that permit substantially unrestricted passage of towmaterials therethrough, that do not damage the tow, and that provide aneffective seal or lock to the escape of gases from treating chambers.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel tow seal structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide, for use with tow treatingchambers, a seal structure that is simple in design having no rotary orreciprocating elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tow seal structurecombining flexible sealing means and condensation means.

The novel tow seal, in brief, comprises a chambered housing with a mainpassage extending therethrough. A plurality of flexible, opposedlyarranged sealing means line the main passage and define a tow paththerethrough. Preferably, the sealing means are swept or angled in theintended direction of movement of a tow through the main passage. Theseal housing has at least one fluid chamber defined therein with anopening thereto adapted for connection to a source of fluid underpressure. A plurality of passages connect the fluid chamber to the mainpassage and when fluid under pressure is delivered to the fluid chamberthe fluid flows into the main passage and condenses gases escaping froma treating chamber to which the seal is normally attached.

A better understanding of the invention will be gained by reference tothe detailed description that follows and to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, with walls broken away, of the novel towseal,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through 22 of FIG. 1 showing atow extending through the bristled main passage of the novel tow seal,and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a part of the tow seal, with partsbroken away, showing the sealing means in the form of flexibleresillient flaps.

Referring to the drawing, FIGS. 1 and 2, the illustrated tow sealembodying the invention comprises a housing 1 having a main passage 2extending therethrough.

Main passage 2 is filled with opposedly arranged flexible filaments orbristles 3 embedded at one end thereof in the -wall defining passage 2and extending into the center of passage 2. Preferably, bristles 3 areflat and are provided with a given sweep or angle in a directioncorresponding to the direction of intended travel of a tow through themain passage 2. The ends or tips of the bristles 3 define a tow paththrough passage 2.

3,394,940 Patented July 30, 1968 Diflerent arrangements and sizes ofbristles 3 may be used. They may be short in length so that their endsdo not meet but define an opening. The opening defined by the bristles3, however, should be smaller than the size of the tow to be passedtherethrough so that the bristles engage the tow and close ofif theopening. They may be longer so as to extend beyond the central axis ofpassage 2 and they may be opposingly staggered so as to interleaf.Preferably, bristles 3 are flat and angled and meet in juxtaposedrelation substantially along the axis of the seal passage. They may bemanufactured of metallic, plasltic, or other material best suited to thefluids being use Sealing means in the form of flexible flaps, as shownin FIGURE 3, may be used.

Main passage 2 is connected, through a plurality of orifices, pores, orpassages 4 formed in the housing, to at least one fluid chamber 5 alsodefined in housing 1. The embodiment shown is provided with upper andlower fluid chambers 5.

In operation, assume that the novel tow seal is connected to an annealeror stream conditioner 6, by flange or other conventional means 7, withan entrance in the steam conditioner 6 being aligned with the mainpassage 2. A continuous moving tow 8 is laced through the bristled mainpassage 2 (with a lacing rod or similar implement), then extendedthrough steam conditioner 6 and through another tow seal positioned atthe exit side of the steam conditioner 6 (not shown). As the tow travelsthrough the bristled main passage, the tow engages the flexiblebristiles and flexes them in the direction of movement of the tow.Bristles 3 provide a barrier to the escape of gas from conditioner 6.

Water under pressure is then delivered to fluid chambers 5. The waterjets into main passage 2 via passages 4. Steam seeping from the steamconditioner 6 into main passage 2 will be condensed by the water sprayedinto the main passage 2. The lower side of the wall defining mainpassage 2 may be sloped and provided with grooves to drain condensateeither to the steam conditioner 6 or to the outside.

Variations and modifications of structure from the illustrated novel towseal are expected to be covered within the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the following claim.

I claim:

1. A tow seal for processing textile yarns comprising,

a housing having oppositely spaced upper and lower perforated wallsdefining a main passage therebetween, said lower wall being slanted fordrainage of fluid,

fluid pressure chamber means defined in said housing and communicatingwith said main passage via said perforated walls to provide a fluidspray thereto,

means for connecting said fluid pressure chamber to a source ofpressurized fluid,

flat, flexible bristle means attached to said perforated walls andextending inwardly into said passage to provide a bristle-filled yarnpath.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1930 Henderson 277--68 SAMUELROTHBERG, Primary Examiner.

